Kotas taxi firm poorly managed: Official

Kotas taxi firm poorly managed: Official

JAKARTA (JP): An official said on Saturday the Kotas taxi
company, one of whose cabs was used in a Jan. 21 rape and
robbery, failed to properly manage its fleet of taxis and
drivers.

"The existence of Kotas taxi is unclear. We have had
difficulties coordinating taxi matters with the company's
management as they repeatedly move their office," Izak Rumaedi,
chairman of the taxi section at the Jakarta chapter of the
Association of Public Land Transportation Owners (Organda), told
The Jakarta Post.

He said the company never reported its new address to the
association when they moved their office.

"The company rarely even sends its progress report to Organda,
including an updated list of its banned drivers," he said.

The Post searched for Kotas' address on Saturday, but could
only discover that the company's office had recently moved from
Korga Meeting Hall on Jl. Haji Kamad, Pondok Bambu, East Jakarta.

None of the nearby residents knew the company's new address.

Izak said Organda had issued a warning to the company to
properly manage its taxis.

"The company does not have a taxi pool. Because (the taxis)
are not parked in the pool, the chances are greater that they
will be misused .... Drivers can lease the taxis to anybody," he
said.

Izak said the government had the authority to impose sanctions
on the company. "The city administration has the authority to
issue and revoke the company's operating license."

He also said the driver and rapist allegedly involved in the
Jan. 21 attack should receive stern sentences.

"The judges should impose heavy jail sentences on the alleged
driver and rapist as a deterrent to other drivers not to commit
the same crime," he said.

Izak also suggested the government enact a regulation to
protect the rights of taxi passengers. "The government should
propose a bill to protect passengers from violence when they are
riding in taxis."

He said all taxi passengers were insured against traffic
accidents. "But, I have no idea whether the insurance also covers
victims of violence.

"The government should regulate the inclusion of insurance for
rape victims and other victims of violence," he said.

Izak said the organization put an average of 80 people on its
list of remiss taxi drivers each month.

"Those drivers violated either the company's rules or
committed crimes, including hitting pedestrians, assaulting
passengers or crashing their taxis into other cars," he said.

He said Organda received the drivers' names from the
government and circulated them to all taxi companies.

"This is meant to prevent other companies from hiring the
black-listed drivers in the future," he said.

The rape in the Kotas taxi occurred on the evening of Jan. 21.
Four men allegedly raped and robbed a young woman they picked up
on Jl. Melawai in South Jakarta.

South Jakarta Police arrested the four suspects 12 hours
later. They were identified as Rusdi, who alleged drove the taxi
and raped the victim; Koming, who allegedly raped the victim
after hiding in the taxi's trunk; and Iwan and Suhadi, who
abetted the other two suspects.

Organda, with a membership of 30 taxi firms, was established
in 1962. Its purpose is to bridge the interests of the government
and land transportation companies. (asa)